Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hmm

/hm̩/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables: hmm
IPA: /hm̩/

10

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

2

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

Indicates thinking or pondering.

intj

Indicates surprise or cluelessness; especially a response by a person who is questioned or addressed when not expecting it.

intj

A demand for an answer to a question.

verb

To make a thoughtful humming noise.

Intransitive verb

noun

Initialism of hidden Markov model.

Example Sentences

"Hmm... that's an interesting idea."
"Hmm... I just can't decide between the two."
"Hmm... creation or evolution? That’s the big question."
""You there! Where are you going?" "Hmm? Oh, I just need to get a drink.""
""Could you pass me the paring knife?" "Hmm? What's a paring knife?""
"Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. B. Wooster: Hmm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir."

Etymology

See hum.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /hm̩/
British English: /hm̩/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

hm (alternative) hum (alternative) hmmm (alternative) h'm (alternative) hmms (present, singular) hmming (participle, present) hmmed (participle, past) hmmed (past) HMMs (plural)

Phrases

mm-hmm

Frequently Paired Words

hrmph humph hmph mm-hmm

Synonyms

hnn

Questions

How do you pronounce hmm?: The recorded pronunciation is /hm̩/.
What does hmm mean?: Indicates thinking or pondering.
Where does hmm come from?: See hum.

How to pronounce hmm

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hmm”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/hm̩/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hmm”.
Repeat and practice — Say “hmm” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.